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Last month, I headed out to Joshua Tree for the afternoon with some of my friends to take fun photos of cosplay we had been hoarding away but never got good photos of! Here’s my first set, appropriately just in time before the opening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier! I did a Diesel Punk Captain America costume for San Diego Comic Con 2012, wore it for about.. oh… 3 hours before I deemed it too hot and uncomfortable and it was ruining my life, haha! That’s what I get for making shorts out of upholstery-thickness vinyl! I handmade the corset, shorts, straps, armbands, and gloves. A lot of rivets, and a lot of D-rings went into this, haha. I hand painted the “A” and Capt America wings on the hat, and dyed and distressed the straps and harness. It wasn’t terribly hard to make, but a little warm in the butt, which I’ll have to be careful of for next time, haha! Anyway, I’m glad I’m able to share these photos with you guys now, thanks to the wonderful Laurie of Lauren Elisabeth Photography. I hope you all appreciate how TOTES PATRIOTIC I am trying to be in these photos, haha. GO AMERICA!

One of my photos was used for this event that’s coming up this Thursday in Los Angeles! Stan Lee just retweeted it, so I’m sorta psyched for that, too. Hope to see you guys there!

I suppose my blog has become a haven for my wedding stuff, but OH WELL! I think more people are reading it now that it’s sort of nerdy-wedding themed, haha.

For our engagement shoot, we had no idea what we wanted to do, and didn’t want to do the full cosplay option of Sailor Moon (I’m more of the cosplay fiend than my fiance), but after chatting with my resourceful friend and amazing wedding photographer Shannon Cottrell (www.libramint.com), she suggested that we feature things we like. The list I came up with was… pretty dumb, but very us: whiskey, games, manga, and tiny animals. Since we don’t currently have a pet, Shannon kindly offered up her cousin’s mini horse as a buddy to play with during the shoot! A MINI HORSE. His name was Lil Henri, but in my head, he was LIL SEBASTIAN (If you don’t watch the show Parks and Recreation, you do not understand my excitement).

Anyway, we combined all these things and had a really nice afternoon shooting these fun photos. I think they really represent us as a couple, and aren’t TOO mushy mushy haha.

Holy cow, it’s been SO long since I’ve last updated my blog! I’m not sure if I have any readers anymore? Well, I thought I’d pick it back up again since I’ve been doing a ton of fun projects with friends lately!

But the party wasn’t enough for us- we wanted to really splash out and do a proper photoshoot with all 5 characters! My friends and I got together and DIYed our own outfits, and styled our characters in our own little ways… Hope you all are ready for some awesomeness… because here it comes!

We have all been cosplaying for waaay too many years- since back in the early 90s if you can even imagine that far back (yeah we’re kinda old). This project was a great chance to actually properly photograph and document a fun side project of ours, and I’m really grateful we did!

We all DIYed our own outfits out of various things we had laying around. My vest was a remake I did of a plain black one, adding Sailor Moon patches, safety pins, star shaped studs, and gradient painting the bottom blue and pink.

Some examples of the patches:

Vest Details:

Some tattoos:

We hiked around downtown Los Angeles for the outdoor shots on a sweltering day this summer, and I’m pretty pleased with the shots! We have plenty of blooper shots that didn’t make the cut, like us holding cute cats, walking (falling) on train tracks (near where they filmed parts of The Dark Knight! haha), and chugging 40s. Maybe some of those will creep up if we feel like people would want to see the blooper reel, haha.

We also majorly FAILED at getting good detail shots of our styling. We had a ton of cute Sailor Moon temporary tattoos emblazoned all over us, which you can kind of peek in the first 3 photos. You can buy some of the Sailor Senshi temp tattoos on Yume’s shop here!

Let us know what you think, and comment below! We had so much fun doing this shoot and hope to do more like it in the future!

I just finished photographing the art piece that I’ll be entering in the gallery! A portion of the sales will go to the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue & Support.

I used gouache, which I love for its texture, and some acrylic to get the pearly looking accents just right 🙂 At first, I had just the cat face on the ice cream cone, but added fangs and creepy claws to it to give it more character and weirdness, haha. The little faces in the melted puddle creep me out…!

I named it ネコポリタン (Nekopolitan),! Will gave me the idea to mishmash the words “Neko ” (which means “cat” in Japanese) and neopolitan, since the colors are striped in the ice cream 🙂

Hope you guys like it! If you have any questions about it, or are interested in purchasing, let me know at iamchubbybunny@gmail.com!

You can see the ice cream-like texture I tried to achieve and the shiny metallics from this angle :3

I had fun DIY-ing the simple frame by making it lavender and adding silver glitter.

Another angle to see texture

Signing my real name on artwork, and not as "Chubby Bunny" 🙂 Shock!

If you’d like to see the work in person, it will be on display in JapanLA from June 4 throughout the month! Also, if you’re local to LA, you can come to the big opening party! (Hosted by my event production company Bubble Punch!) Hope to see you there!

“Bunnies & Bows: Art Exhibition & Fashion Event”

Chubby Bunny is proud to announce our very first curated group art exhibition and fashion event!

Chubby Bunny will debuting our new line of accessories and super limited shirts and dresses at this event!

Artists will be creating new work for the show based on the theme of “Bunnies & Bows,” each bringing their own unique outlook to the canvas for this fantastic show. This exhibition features a group of artists handpicked not only for their extraordinary talent, but for their incredible influence on myself and my work as I have grown as a fashion designer, artist and business owner in the past few years. It is a great honor to be able to exhibit their work together so others may be as inspired by them as I have. A full list of participating artists, including bios, can be found below.

Of course, along with art, we will also be showcasing Chubby Bunny fashion during this exhibit. I will be exhibiting a last-look retrospective of my previous work, both fashion and art related. After this show, many of these pieces will be permanently dismantled or sold, so it will be your last chance to see some of my (perhaps in)famous past work!

To celebrate this incredible mixed media exhibition, there will be an opening party on May 7th, 2011, from 7 – 10pm at JapanLA! I will also be debuting my new line of Chubby Bunny accessories and hand-made one of-a-kind shirts and dresses at the event, which will be available for purchase at a special discounted rate for one night only! Below is a list of event happenings!

Costume contest: We encourage guests to dress up in BUNNIES AND BOW-themed costumes! There will be prizes awarded to the most creative attendees who use the theme and their own originality in their outfits. Both men and women of all ages are encouraged to participate in the costume event! Prizes include gifts from Chubby Bunny, Sugarpill Makeup, and more…!

Cake Balls: Lil’ Rae Cakes will also be present selling her infamous cake balls, with specially commissioned ones just for this event!

Live DJ: Spinning for the night will be provided by the ever-awesome DJ R-Rated.

Bunnies & Bows is not only a showcase of new work from art and fashion, but is also an enormous, party-sized THANK YOU to all of the people who have influenced, supported, and inspired me along the way. Everyone involved is a dear friend who has helped or influenced me in my work. We hope you can all come celebrate on this inspiring night!

Artist roster:Aimee SteinbergerTwitterArtwork preview for Bunnies & Bows
Aimee Steinberger is an animation artist currently working as Assistant Director on Napoleon Dynamite and Futurama. She has previously worked on The Simpsons and various animation projects for Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Animation. Aimee wrote and illustrated a book about her trip to Japan, called, Japan Ai: A Tall Girl’s Adventures in Japan.

Akira Ebihara
Twitter
Residing in Tokyo, Akira Ebihara became a freelance illustrator in 2004. She primarily draws illustrations for magazine covers, women’s magazines, books, and commercial media for women ranging from teens to adults. Her illustrations have been highlighted in international design and magazines. Akira began exhibiting overseas in 2010 with SWEET STREETS.

Bei BadgirlTwitterArtwork Preview for Bunnies & Bows
Bei Badgirl is a recent graduate of the University of Sydney and has been exhibiting internationally. Inspired by all that glitters, her ultra-girly work explores the notions of sex and excess, obsession, indulgence, and the concept of falling in love with imaginary things. Blending her daily routines and sugar-sweet addictions, her work is an overflow of all that is criminally dear to her. She currently lives and works in her underwater palace in the kingdom of Atlantica and enjoys baking, watching cartoons, and bringing sailors to their doom in her free time.

Dianne GarciaTwitterArtwork Preview for Bunnies & Bows
A full time graphic designer for the LA Weekly magazine, part time blogger and a space pirate, she is excited to practice the finer side of art and draw inspiration from a friend. She has lived in Southern California for 15 years and studied Fine Arts at USC. Dianne will one day tell her tales of space pirate adventures through illustration and comic books, but for now, she dreams of food, kittens, and zombies.

EimiTwitterEimi illustrates cute girls who are always bright and happy. Sometimes they feel like doing mischief and feel anxiety about eating too much, expressing the many emotions of girls. Eimi evokes this emotion with a glaring pop style that she calls “pink science.” Her artwork is a combination of mixed media, using mainly acrylic, watercolors, and paper collage in a monochromatic palette.

Jim MahfoodTwitter
Jim Mahfood, aka Food One, has worked for every major comic book company. He has illustrated Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” comics, done art for the entire ad campaign for Colt 45 malt liquor in 2007, painted the murals on Comedy Central’s “Sarah Silverman Show”, illustrated the “Kickpuncher” comic book that was included in the Season 1 DVD of NBC’s “Community”, & is currently illustrating & art directing reggae legend Ziggy Marley’s “MarijuanaMan” project.

Kayo Tamaishi
Kayo Tamaishi was born in 1980 and raised in Yokohama, Japan. It was here that she studied art with Setsu Nagasawa, a prominent Japanese fashion illustrator. Kayo’s girls are cute and fashionable, always celebrating femininity. As an artist, she hopes to spread happiness with each piece that she creates.

Kevin Marburg
Oakland, California artist Kevin Marburg has appeared in numerous art shows and books for his early work as a skateboard artist. He is more recently known for creating many award-winning video game covers for Electronic Arts.

Luke ChuehTwitterArtwork preview for Bunnies & Bows
Born in Philadelphia, but tragically raised in Fresno, Luke Chueh (pronounced CHU) attended California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obipso, where he earned a BS in Art & Design (Graphic Design concentration). An award-winning designer, Luke has been featured in the design annuals of Communication Arts and Print Magazine. Employing minimal color schemes, simple animal characters, and a seemingly endless list of ill-fated situations, Chueh stylistically balances cute with brute, walking the fine line between comedy and tragedy.

Martin HsuTwitter
Martin often dreams of running through fields of shimmery bows with giant unicorn bunnies. When he’s not daydreaming, he makes pictures with crayons and painting with his hands.

Michelle RomoTwitter
Michelle Romo is a self-taught illustrator and designer who is fueled by cookies and naps. Her influences include Mid-Century, Japanese, and Scandinavian design and pretty much anything cute. Michelle created her line, Crowded Teeth, in 2004 and continues to create characters and products under that name. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband Jason and their two cats, Hurts and Morgan.

MishaTwitterArtwork Preview for Bunnies & Bows
Misha’s art is a fusion of Japanese Anime, Hindu and Buddhist religious imagery, and traditional tattoo design. Her favorite subjects to paint are mermaids, pin-ups, geishas, and monsters; preferable a mix of at least two of them at once. She also enjoys the dichotomy of having a monster look cute and sweet. Her paintings and drawings are not based in reality, but instead she creates a world where even monsters are cute and the world is a happy place, seeing the people not as they are, but as cartoon characters.

Miss KikaTwitter
Miss Kika is originally from San Francisco, and now resides in Seoul, South Korea, and works full-time as a freelance illustrator. She graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida in 2006 with her BFA in illustration, and enjoys girly 1980’s cartoons, strawberry tea, and all things that sparkle or come topped with icing.

NICOTwitter
NICO began illustrating at a young age professionally in 2001. Her modern pop artwork is gaining international popularity, having designed many CD albums, characters, magazine designs for Vogue Nippon, GQ, Loreal, Mattel, and Paperchase stationary. She is based in Japan, UK, and exhibits worldwide.

OnchTwitterOnch is a jewelry designer, artist, and TV personality, most known for his memorable appearance on Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, where Onch melted the hearts of audiences around the world with his bubbly genuine self. Onch’s Creations has also been featured on top television shows such as Fox News, The Soup, Tyra Banks Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Style Network’s The DISH, VH1 Best Week Ever, Jay Leno, and VH1’s Rock of Love.

San Smith Twitter
San Smith is a professional illustrator residing in Atlanta, Georgia. Her style is inspired by her interest in animation, comic books and vintage toys. When San isn’t drawing, she enjoys hula hooping, riding bicycles, photography and chasing her Chihuahua around the house. Her influences include Jamie Hernandez, Dan DeCarlo, Tara McPherson, and Bruce Timm.

Yuki Takahashi
Yuki Takahashi’s artwork came to the attention of Tokyo art fans when she designed the back cover of Japanese art magazine “Design No Genba [The Scene Of The Design]” in the Liquitex illustration contest in 2008. She is a traditional illustrator working with a variety of medium such as acrylic gouache, watercolor, and colored pencils to make her artwork colorful and pop. She is a recipient of the CWC Chance-Ten Finalist Award.

Yume NinjaTwitter
Yume Ninja is the commander of gothicorns and ruler of ninjas in the kingdom of blood, darkness, & glitter. Yume is a chameleon, venturing into various realms of self-expressionism. Her belief that beauty and perfection comes from constantly evolving one’s skills and self-expression is a constant theme in her range of artwork. Her form, art, and presentation is a constantly evolving collection of her own inspirations by video games, the macabre, classical art, fashion, mythology, anime/manga, and literature.

Shannon Shea
Originally from Oroville, California, Shannon graduated with a BFA in Electronic Art from California State University of Chico before moving to Shiga, Japan for three wonderful years of fun and cultural immersion. Shea currently resides in Portland, Oregon, and is working with adults with developmental disabilities at Project Grow, creating art and filming various projects. Shea finds inspiration in all things cute, pastel and ’80s.

TwitterOnch is a jewelry designer, artist, and TV personality, most known for his memorable appearance on Paris Hilton’s My New BFF, where Onch melted the hearts of audiences around the world with his bubbly genuine self. Onch’s Creations has also been featured on top television shows such as Fox News, The Soup, Tyra Banks Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Style Network’s The DISH, VH1 Best Week Ever, Jay Leno, and VH1’s Rock of Love.